Power Plate: Session 1

Last Thursday I was lucky enough to be invited to go along to Harrods (ooh, swanky) for a Power Plate class. I have read all over the place about the number of gorgeous celebs that swear by the vibrating wonders of Power Plate to hone their red-carpet-ready bodies, so I was really excited to get to go along and try these out for myself.

Not only are scores of celebrities raving about the wonders of power plate, but when I tweeted about it – I also got loads to tweet-replies saying how amazing they are and how I would love it, plus a friend of mine used them to get herself in shape for her wedding.

So all in all, some pretty exciting recommendations – I was really looking forward to my first class. Just to put the positive side into perspective – I was slightly anxious about how it would feel and if I would be left in pain as I have heard that your first couple of sessions can leave you feeling pretty broken.

So, last Thursday I arrived at the class feeling excited but not really sure what to expect. I was greeted by a couple of friendly power plate instructors who showed me the studio and where I could get myself changed and ready to go. Once I had changed (into a loose t-shirt, leggings and socks – you don’t need trainers for this, so very easy to pack for) I was ready to go.

Before getting on the main machine – which is pretty huge – I was invited to do a body test, to show me exactly how my body was made up (weight, BMI, muscle and body fat – eek!). This is going to come in very handy as I have some stats to compare against at the end of the month long fat-busting trial. The rough gist was that my weight was fine, muscle was on the lower end of the scale and fat on the higher end – probably could have predicted this, but it’s good to have it down in writing so I can see in black and white if any improvements are made – and you don’t need to take my word for the results.

The class was small, four of us in total, including one girl who was very much the ‘busy-city-woman-doesn’t-have-time-to-work-out’ stereotype, doing sit-ups on the machine, wearing a full face of make-up whilst also checking her blackberry. The instructor talked us clearly through each of the simple exercises – lasting only a minute each – explaining which muscles we were working and constantly encouraging. It was really straight forward; I didn’t feel like a power plate dunce.

After the 20 min class I felt very refreshed and energised – like the vibrations really got my blood pumping! I did feel warm, but not sweaty – so it really is one you can do in a lunch break. My legs did feel a bit wobbly, but that’s probably just showing how long it has been since I did a work out.

I made sure I had a warm bath that night (helps the muscles) and ate a protein filled dinner (good for muscles) and the next day I felt fine. I felt like I had used the muscles – slight aches in the thighs and down my sides – but nowhere near the pain I had heard rumours of. I half expected it to kick in the next day, but still felt fine. The most amazing bit was how energised I felt on the Friday – I couldn’t have predicted it would make me feel that good!

So, that was my first experience – have you tried Power Plate? What did you think?? If you have any questions about it then please let me know and I will try to find answers (will ask the trainers).

I am aiming to 2/3 classes a week till the end of March and will report back on how it’s going. At the end of the trial I will also share the before and after body test results so you can judge for yourselves if it as effective as the celebs claim!

Wish me luck!

I was invited to go along to this class and participate in the month long trial free of charge for review purposes. All reviews or opinions shared are honest and impartial.